1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to refrigerant recycling and recovery, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for purifying refrigerant from a vapor compression refrigeration system.
2. Description of the Background
The issue of environmental protection has reached the forefront of public awareness, and one pervading problem is the dwindling ozone layer. The release of certain refrigerants into the atmosphere is contributing to the problem, and an extreme public outcry has resulted. Consequently, regulations governing the disposal of such ozone depleting refrigerants are becoming increasingly strict, and severe taxes are being imposed on the sale of such refrigerants. These reforms and others have created a significant market for refrigerant recycling and reclamation equipment. Such equipment is now used extensively in the automotive industry, and it is finding its place in other industries as well. A small number of conventional systems are currently available which attach to air conditioning or refrigeration systems for cleaning and filtering refrigerant to a point where it meets regulatory standards for use. In addition to these refrigerant recycling and reclamation systems, alternate refrigerants are being developed which decompose more easily and have less effect on the ozone layer. This new generation of refrigerants (including ternary blends and R134A) are designed to exhibit similar properties as their predecessors (such as R12). However, the expanding variety of refrigerants is creating a problem with recycling and reclamation equipment.
The different types of refrigerants make it impractical to use conventional recycling and reclamation equipment in the field. This is because a different piece of equipment must be kept on hand for each type of refrigerant. Conventional recycling and reclamation equipment utilize vapor pumps to convey vaporous refrigerant. Vapor pumps utilize lubricants which are generally compatible with a single refrigerant type. Therefore, conventional recycling and reclamation equipment is dedicated to recycling only one refrigerant type.
It would be greatly advantageous to have a refrigerant recycling system which could be more easily adapted to operate on all types of refrigerants.